← All Articles

title: "Paris Belle Epoque Historical Photos (Colorized, Sourced)" description: "Curated historical photographs of paris belle epoque, carefully colorized and sourced with provenance and licenses." date: "2025-09-12" author: "Back In Colour" tags: ["paris", "Historical", "Photography"] featured: false

Paris Belle Epoque Historical Photos (Colorized, Sourced)

Original
Colourised

Introduction

Paris Belle Epoque Historical Photos (Colorized, Sourced) presents a carefully assembled selection of black‑and‑white photographs from public archives, shown alongside our respectful colorization work. We prioritize authenticity: subdued palettes, era‑appropriate tones, preserved grain and contrast, and clear provenance for every image.

Local Timeline (photography × history)

  • 1890s–1900s — Expansion of urban photography; postcard and travel series.
  • 1910s–1920s — Street scenes, transport, and industry grow as subjects.
  • 1930s–1940s — Modernization accelerates; documentary styles emerge.

Photographers & Archives

  • Noted collections represented in this set; see per‑image provenance below.
  • Public domain or open Creative Commons licenses preferred.

Colorization Notes

  • Authentic mode: balanced, non‑neon palette; film‑like contrast.
  • Stone/sky/foliage tuned to era response; skin tones natural.
  • No elements added/removed beyond minor restoration.

Selected Gallery

Barnum & Bailey, greatest show on earth. Salle des fêtes. Galerie des Machines.jpg

Original
Processing…
(non daté) Le cirque s'est produit à Paris du 30 novembre 1901 au 16 mars 1902 (la Galerie des Machines fut construite pour l'exposition universelle de 1900 et détruite en 1909).. Wikimedia Commons — source. License: Public domain.

1897 - HG Gautreau au 30 rue des Amandiers.jpg

Original
Processing…
1897. Wikimedia Commons — source. License: Public domain.

Cartes postale Place des Juifs (métro Saint-Paul).jpg

Original
Processing…
1900. Wikimedia Commons — source. License: Public domain.

Bonneton - Entrée du passage Moret rue des Cordelieres - P381 - Musée Carnavalet.jpg

Original
Processing…
1900. Wikimedia Commons — source. License: CC0.

At Gare De L'Est -- Restaurant (LOC).jpg

Original
Processing…
1900-01-01 00:00:00. Wikimedia Commons — source. License: Public domain.

Cappiello Le Rire 1900.jpg

Original
Processing…
1900-05-26. Wikimedia Commons — source. License: Public domain.

Album of Paris Crime Scenes - Attributed to Alphonse Bertillon. DP263699.jpg

Original
Processing…
1901–8. Wikimedia Commons — source. License: Public domain.

Félix Vallotton - Le Pont-Neuf.jpeg

Original
Processing…
1901date QS:P571,+1901-00-00T00:00:00Z/9. Wikimedia Commons — source. License: Public domain.

Cappiello Mily-Meyer Le Rire 1902.jpg

Original
Processing…
1902-01. Wikimedia Commons — source. License: Public domain.

Caricatures Cappiello Hervieu by Sem.jpg

Original
Processing…
1902-08. Wikimedia Commons — source. License: Public domain.

Charvet ozone generators.jpg

Original
Processing…
1903. Wikimedia Commons — source. License: Public domain.

Charvet washing machines.jpg

Original
Processing…
1903. Wikimedia Commons — source. License: Public domain.

Scan & Print Guidance

For personal prints, export at 300 DPI; Super‑Res x2 supports larger formats. For best results on your own scans, use a flatbed at 600 DPI, clean the glass, and avoid heavy compression.

FAQs

  • Are the colours historically accurate? We bias toward authenticity and note when colour is inferred.
  • Can I print these? Yes — HD exports generally support up to A3 at 300 DPI.

Ethics & Accuracy

Colorization is interpretive. We document sources, acknowledge uncertainty in dates/locations, and avoid sensational edits. See our Ethics page for details.